Coreopsis plant named ‘Cherry Pie’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Coreopsis  plant named ‘Cherry Pie’ characterized by small daisy-type flowers that grow to 3.5 cm in diameter, flowers that are deep red, grass green foliage on short stems, flowering for the whole summer, and a dense, mounding habit.

Botanical denomination: Coreopsis spp.

Variety designation: ‘Cherry Pie’.

Parentage: (Coreopsis ‘Little Penny’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 18,502)×Coreopsis ‘Rum Punch’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 18,889).

Cross reference to: Parents above and co-pending applications for Coreopsis ‘Pineapple Pie’ (U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 12/927,266), ‘Pumpkin Pie’ (U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 12/927,226).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct Coreopsis and given the cultivar name ‘Cherry Pie’. Coreopsis is in the family Asteraceae. This new cultivar originated from a controlled cross of Coreopsis ‘Rum Punch’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 18,889) as the seed parent and Coreopsis ‘Little Penny’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 18,502) as the pollen parent. The breeding plan was to make a series like Coreopsis ‘Little Penny’.

Compared to the seed parent, Coreopsis ‘Little Penny’, the new hybrid has flowers that are larger, and deep red rather than copper with small yellow eyes. Compared to the pollen parent, Coreopsis ‘Rum Punch’, the new cultivar has smaller flowers that are deep red rather than orangey-rose colored. The new cultivar has a smaller, tighter habit than Coreopsis ‘Rum Punch’.

Compared to Coreopsis ‘Sangria’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,047), the new cultivar has larger, deeper red flowers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of the new variety. These characteristics in combination distinguish Coreopsis ‘Cherry Pie’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. small daisy-type flowers that grow to 3 cm in diameter,     -   2. flowers that are deep red,     -   3. grass green foliage on short stems,     -   4. flowering for the whole summer, and     -   5. a dense, mounding habit.

This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (cuttings and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by cuttings and tissue culture using standard micropropagation techniques with terminal and lateral shoots, as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The photograph shows a one-year-old Coreopsis ‘Cherry Pie’ growing in the ground in the trial field in July in Canby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Coreopsis cultivar based on observations of four-month-old specimens growing in a one gallon container in a cool greenhouse in Canby, Oreg. Canby is Zone 8 on the USDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95 degrees F. in August to 32 degrees F. in January. Normal rainfall in Canby is 42.8 inches per year. The color descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 5^(th) edition.

-   Plant:     -   -   Type.—Herbaceous perennial.         -   Hardiness.—USDA Zones 7 to 9.         -   Size.—26 cm wide and 24.5 cm tall to top of inflorescences.         -   Form.—Mound.         -   Vigor.—Excellent.         -   Roots.—Fibrous, stems root easily from stem cuttings. -   Stem:     -   -   Type.—Ascending.         -   Size.—13 cm tall to where branches for flowering and 3 mm             wide.         -   Number of stems from the crown.—4.         -   Internode length.—1 cm to 3 cm.         -   Surface.—Glabrous.         -   Color.—Yellow Green 137A. -   Leaf:     -   -   Type.—Simple.         -   Shape.—Linear except near base where sometimes pinnatifid             with 1-2 linear side lobes.         -   Arrangement.—Opposite.         -   Size.—Grows to 5 cm long and 4 mm wide (1.5 cm wide where             pinnatifid).         -   Margins.—Entire.         -   Petiole.—Sessile.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Cuneate clasping.         -   Surface texture.—Glabrous on top and bottom sides.         -   Venation.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Topside Yellow Green 137A, bottom side Yellow Green             146A. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Type.—Long stalked terminal heads of daisy type             inflorescences.         -   Peduncle.—Grows to 8.5 cm long, 1 mm wide, glabrous, Green             137A.         -   Size.—Grows to 3.2 cm wide and 10 mm deep.         -   Immature.—Globular, 5 mm wide and 5 mm deep, Yellow Green             146A on the sides and Greyed Purple 187A on top, glabrous.         -   Receptacle.—Disc shaped, 2.5 mm wide and 1.5 mm deep, Green             N137C.         -   Phyllaries.—In 2 series; first series closet to ray florets             4 mm deep and 9 mm wide, 8 in number, each 4 mm long and 2             mm wide, ovate, margin entire, tip acute, glabrous on both             sides, both sides Grey Purple 187A on the tip and Yellow             Orange 21B on top half and Yellow Green 146A on bottom half;             lower series in an area 2 mm deep and 5 mm wide, 5 in             number, 1.5 mm long and 1 mm wide, each ovate, margin             entire, tip acute, both sides glabrous and Yellow Green             146A.         -   Lastingness.—Each inflorescence lasts about a week on the             plant. -   Florets:     -   -   Type.—Composite.         -   Ray florets.—8 in number with no pistil or stamen, grows to             14 mm long, 7 mm wide, obovate, with the tip three-lobed             with lobe tips obtuse and the central lobe the longest,             sometimes notched, margins entire and revolute, glabrous on             both sides, sometimes with linear projection from above the             claw, 7 mm long and 0.5 mm wide; topside Greyed Purple 187A,             bottom side Greyed Red 181D.         -   Disc.—Conic, deeper with maturity, 7 mm wide and becoming             3.5 mm deep with maturity, Greyed Purple 187A before             opening, after opening Yellow Orange 21B with a background             of Greyed Purple 187A.         -   Disc florets.—Tubular, with stamen and pistil, about 60 in             number, 4 mm long and 1 mm wide, tubular; corolla 3 mm long,             Greyed Purple 187A on the 4 lobes to Yellow 6D on the upper             tube to Green Yellow 1C on the lower tube; pistil 1, 4 mm             long, ovary 1.1 mm long, Green Yellow 1C, style 3 mm long,             with extruding, 2-branched stigma, stigma and style Yellow             Orange 21B; stamen 5, anthers 1.2 mm long, Greyed Purple             187A, pollen Yellow 10A.         -   Bloom period.—June through September in Canby, Oreg.         -   Fragrance.—Light, Chrysanthemum-like.         -   Seed.—None seen.         -   Fertility.—Unknown. -   Disease and pests: Coreopsis are susceptible to mildew and fungal     spots. No resistance is known for this variety. 

1. A new and distinct Coreopsis plant as herein illustrated and described. 